“Richard was dad’s golf partner. Not even one word of regret that it didn’t work out, not one word to wish me happiness. Not one word of love for me.” The tears were now freely flowing down Bette’s cheeks. She took a handkerchief and blew her nose in it, still silently sobbing as she continued. “My dad hasn’t been the same since then. He’s a bitter man, going from one woman to the other, not caring for a single one of them. And if he realises he starts to care, he hurts them to get them out of his way. He never once said he was proud of me since, or that I did well. He has high expectations – wants me to go to law school or medical school, become someone important. I think he wants to show my mother he did a good job raising me on his own and that I have become someone without her. Kit really was the one who raised me. She has been into booze and drugs for very long, but she’s three years clear now. Still, she was the one who held me at night when I was crying and promised me tomorrow would be better. She can drive me up the wall, but I’ll always be thankful for that. I just… I wish I had known my mother better. I forgot so much about her – her smell, her voice. They say the voice is the first thing you forget about someone. Her face starts to blur in my memory. I don’t have a picture of her. When dad came home and saw the note, he went cold. He never cried. He just stood up and removed all pictures from her out of the house. Kit kept one for me, but he found that one day and went over the top, he burnt it.”

“Shit, Bette, I’m so sorry,” Tina said, not really knowing what to say. She rubbed Bette’s back in a comforting gesture. “I… I can’t imagine that, really. I’m lucky with my family. Shit, I have been so lucky all along. My parents gave me everything, I have wonderful friends back home, and the greatest boyfriend. Pete always took care of me so well, I could talk to him for hours and not be bored. I loved to watch his games. And he was cute as well. I really miss him… but I guess that’s not what you want to hear.”